Foamable materials are known in the art. For instance, whipped cream is known to be stored in a canister under pressure such that when shaken and released, the whipped cream is expulsed from the canister, such as when being applied to a food item, such as a dessert. The addition of this whipped cream to the food item is experienced by some as enhancing the flavor of the underlying food item to which it is applied, thereby making the overall consumption experience more pleasurable. As such, whipped cream has been employed in the art as a food additive and is not formulated for direct consumption, that is, whipped cream is not meant to be consumed by itself directly from the canister.
Although whipped cream can be prepared by hand and be stored in any suitable manner, such as in a flexible confectioner's decorating pastry bag, often times, such as when produced for convenient mass consumption, for instance, in a ready-to-use formulation, whipped cream may be stored under pressure in a rigid canister that is capable of maintaining its contents under such pressure. For example, prior to its placement in the dispensing container, the cream is whipped in such a manner that gas bubbles are mixed within a matrix of the cream so as to produce a colloid material that in some instances may be double or triple its volume prior to being whipped and/or dispensed. Typically, in order to form a material having such a colloid consistency, the material must be capable of forming a matrix wherein bubbles may be trapped as the material is whipped, such as prior to storage within or dispensing from the canister. Traditionally, therefore, in order to be considered a foamable material, the material was assumed to need to be comprised of fat, such as at least 30% fat, such as butterfat, having a network of fat droplets wherein bubbles may be captured so as to form the colloid, such as prior to dispensing.
Additionally, foamable materials, such as whipped cream, had to be stored under pressure in combination with a propellant, such as an aerosol, in a canister adapted for being able to maintain its contents under such pressures, and having a minimally configured release valve, such that in order to be dispensed the material within the canister must be inverted prior to operating the release valve. Accordingly, when properly used the canister would be inverted, the valve depressed, and the pressurized contents would then be released. Such minimally configured release valves are problematic because they allow for incorrect operation such that if operated without inversion the propellant is rapidly depleted rendering the contents inaccessible and unusable.
These propellants are stored under pressure in the canister and serve two functions. First it keeps the gas suspended within the colloidal cream formulation. Secondly, it served as a propellant forcing the whipped cream out of the canister when the release valve was triggered. Typically, there is a gas-tight seal between the canister and the release valve that assists in maintaining the stored whipped cream under pressure. However, with use and/or if the seal of the canister is compromised in any way, which often happens with use and/or time, the compressed gas may leave the cream formulation, and along with the propellant, e.g., nitrous oxide, will leak out or otherwise be released from the canister resulting in the foamed material becoming defoamed making it unpleasant and unsuitable for its intended use as a food additive, if it can be released from the container at all.
Propellants have also been used in conjunction with the delivery of non-foamable materials, so as to make them flowable. For instance, Cheese Whiz is a secondary food item that has been configured to be stored under pressure and delivered in a flowable manner as a topping for a secondary food item. For example, Cheese Whiz includes a cheese flavored material that is formulated in such a manner that in a suitably configured delivery canister, the cheese-like material may be delivered in a flowable form to a secondary food substrate such as a cracker, a vegetable, bread, and the like. In such an instance, the canister may include a cavity having two compartments. A first compartment containing the cheese material, and a second compartment containing a gas, where the two compartments are separated from one another by a moveable platform, so as to form a piston-like configuration. In this instance, the gas exerts a positive pressure on the platform such that when a delivery nozzle is tilted, a passageway is opened allowing the piston to move and push the cheese-like material out of the nozzle and on to the food substrate.
In most of these instances, the cream, cheese, and other such flowable and dispensable materials have been formulated for delivery of the food topping to a secondary food item, such as prior to consumption of that secondary food item by the consumer. Hence, the dispensing mechanisms presently known are adapted for delivery to a secondary food item, and not configured for direct delivery to the mouth of the user. There are, however, those who have tried to employ such existing dispensing mechanisms for delivery of the food topping directly to the mouth, but with less than satisfactory results. Particularly, there are, for instance, a multiplicity of resultant problems given the configuration and mechanics of the delivery mechanisms and their intended use.
For example, the attendant nozzles are not shaped nor angled for delivery to the mouth, the canister's themselves have not been ergonomically designed for such delivery, and functional operation has not be adapted to account for such usage. More particularly, users who insist on direct delivery of such secondary food toppings directly to their mouth, are required to hold the canister in an inverted position above the head so that the bottom of the container and its contents are above the nozzle; otherwise, the propellant will escape and/or delivery cannot be commenced. However, this requires the arm be raised and the neck to be tilted back and/or crimped prior to usage. Such bodily contortions are uncomfortable, cannot be engaged while mobile, such as when exercising, block one's field of vision, and are all around unpleasant. Further, in such instances, the canisters themselves become unwieldy, lack grip, and are hard to operate. Moreover, if the angle of operation is not appropriately aligned within the design dimensions of the canister, spluttering and/or resultant gas leakage can cause frustration, embarrassment, and/or lead to consequential physical damage.
These results, therefore, make such usage dangerous, socially unacceptable, and open to ridicule. Specifically, fast food consumption often takes place while driving. However, to consume such flowable materials of the prior art while driving requires a tilted head position that is difficult to achieve, if possible at all, and further requires one to take his or her eyes off the road, e.g., looking upwards and not forwards, and is generally incompatible with such usage. Additionally, the canister itself, as well as the user's hand, blocks the user's field of vision. Further, the operation of the existing dispensing mechanisms requires dexterous manipulations of the actuator that interferes with concentration required for driving, and in the inverted dispensing position, the canister can collide with the headliner and/or other structures of the vehicle making driving dangerous. Similar problems can be experienced while walking, running, cycling, or participating in other forms of exercise, as well as when watching TV and/or engaging in conversation. For instance, head tilting is often times incompatible with participating in sporting events, following high-paced action, such as on a TV screen, interrupts eye contact often required for effective communication, and is a distracting gesture that may adversely affect others such as by impeding their field of view in a manner that may be considered rude and/or socially unacceptable.
As seen above, whipped cream, cheese-whiz and other such flowable food topping mechanisms have focused on the application of the material to secondary food items. Presently, there are no systems that have been specifically developed and well adapted for direct delivery to the mouth of consumer of food products and beverages that have been precisely formulated for optimal taste and texture as an imbibable food substance. Accordingly, as foamed and flowable liquid, beverage, and other food materials are experienced by some to be pleasant to the taste, there is a need in the art for the storage, production, and delivery of a wider range of such materials, which can be formulated for direct delivery to and consumption by the mouth of the consumer. It has now been determined that a wide variety of directly consumable materials may be foamed by a wide variety of foaming agents, which are safe for consumption, without being overly limited by the fat content of the material to be foamed.
Additionally, it has been determined that a wide array of liquids, beverages, and other food materials may be prepared so as to be flowably contained within a specially designed container for automatic delivery to a user. There is a need, therefore, for an apparatus, system, and/or delivery method that allows all such foamable and/or flowable materials to be stored in greater density, such as in a prefoamed state, and delivered direct to the consumer, such as in a manner that ensures that the foamed composition is optimally foamed substantially at the same time as delivery. This will not only allow for a greater quantity of material to be stored in a given delivery apparatus, but also ensure that the right amount of foaming agent is mixed with the right amount of foamable material so as to evoke the optimal taste experience upon delivery and consequent consumption by the consumer. Further, there is a need for an apparatus, system, and/or delivery method that allows ingestible materials to be stored in a manner that will allow them to automatically be delivered directly to the consumer, such as in a manner that ensures that the flowable composition is optimally delivered. The devices, methods, and systems of this present disclosure aim at meeting one or more of these and other related needs, while maximizing the individual's choice and enjoyment in consumable products.